Prep Girls Tennis: Boylan crew ready for state tournament

ROCKFORD — With so many girls qualifying for state, Boylan coach Steve Price had to figure out which site he'd watch some of the Titans tennis players compete.

Fortunately, he'll be close enough to catch more than one competitor in Hoffman Estates.

"Normally I go to a site that has a senior," Price said. "I've decided, since there's two sites that are close together, I'll go to watch my No. 1 doubles team Molly Murray, who is a senior, and Kenzie Barr, a sophomore.

"And they're fairly close to Sarah Rosen, who's a junior and will play singles. The other sites will be way far away in Barrington, which is way northwest (suburban Chicago), and Wheeling is really far northeast.

"It's a headache, but it's a pleasant problem to have."

Murray and Barr weren't always a doubles team this year, but have improved as a unit. Murray's former doubles partner, Rosen, has played at a higher level as a singles competitor.

"They didn't seem to click," Price said. "They beat Hononegah in the dual meet, but they didn't play as well together.

"Kenzie moved to No. 1 doubles from No. 2 and everything just seemed to click. Then Kelly Custer moved from No. 3 doubles to No. 2 singles and then on doubles.

"The whole team seemed to gel."

And the whole sectional team reached state as a result.

"It's so exciting we got our whole team to state," Murray said. "We were all nervous if any of us were going to qualify.

"So it's just really special for us all to go. It's just going to be such a great experience."

Price said Rosen seemed to improve when she returned to being a singles player.

"Switching her back to singles where she finished second in conference, she has stepped it up," Price said. "She's played really well and she's more relaxed and at home.

"Her serve is even better since she's switched."

Rosen said she just feels more comfortable in singles, where she just missed out on a state bid as a sophomore.

"I like the challenge and I feel like I'm better at singles," Rosen said. "I'm excited to go as a junior and I think the state tournament will have a different level of skill than the NIC-10 Conference or the sectional."

Rosen will play Mount Zion's Megan Balgemann on Thursday at Hoffman Estates High School, while Murray and Barr will take on Normal Community's Avery Rainwater and Katie Toohill at James B. Conant High School, which is also at Hoffman Estates.

Auburn singles player Meghan Mediratta will play in Barrington to play against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin's Laura Seadler.

"She got a great draw," Auburn coach Traci Palmer said. "The girl she's playing was fourth in her sectional, so that's as good of a draw as you can get.

"Meghan's just figured the game out and she knows how to pick up on opponent's weaknesses. She's very good at analyzing her opponent."

Hononegah's Tia Norris will play in Schaumburg and will take on Lake Forest's Christina Zordani. In doubles, Lutheran's Hannah Morgan and Carly Kasicki will meet Chicago University's Grace Anderson and Monica Lewis at Rolling Meadows.